For Beltane 2016, we gathered together to celebrate the Lord and Lady of the Green. As is our tradition, we learned and performed a circle dance as part of our ritual. Prior to Beltane, each sister had created a green mask to wear during part of the ritual, and it was great fun!

Below is an excerpt from the lore portion of our ritual, written by Chelsea. It perfectly sums up our celebration.

Today we come together to celebrate Beltane, the day the Celts considered the first day of summer and one of the Four Greater Sabbats of the Witches’ Wheel. It is the day when the Lord and Lady come together not as husband and wife, but as newly found lovers. Today, they seek nothing more than merriment and carnal pleasure and through their union, the summer fruits will ripen and the land will be fertile.

I am a bit behind on the bloggity business, so I figured I’d just create one post that encompasses what we’ve been up to lately.

Imbolc 2016

Prior to ritual, during our initial social hour we made butter out of cream in large mason jars, which we then placed on the altar. Imbolc is associated with milk, and our butter blended in nicely with our candlelit snow-white altar. Our ritual was centered around renewal and rededication. Poetry was read and offerings were made to Brighid. Chelsea led this ritual as part of her third degree training.

March New Moon 2016

As part of her second degree training, Giselle centered our March esbat, which we decided to do as a new moon ritual. We honored Hecate and the rite was centered around transformation.

Ostara 2016

For this sabbat, we honored Zephyrus and Iris, and our ritual was was strewn with flowers and all the colors of the rainbow! Iris is the messenger Goddess and her consort is the West Wind. We asked Them to help carry messages to those to whom we wanted to speak. Also part of the ritual was an Ambrosia cup blessing ritual.

April All-Coven Meeting

During this meeting, Giselle led us in a slideshow presentation of many of the Norse Gods and Goddesses. Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos from that lovely evening.

We’ve decided to change the way we look at community service. Earlier this month, our community service liaison, Heather, brought up the idea of choosing one cause to devote our service to this year. For 2016, we’ve decided on the Yazidi. The Yazidi people are being persecuted by ISIL/Daesh in the Iraq area.

The Yazidis are monotheists who believe in a benevolent peacock angel (Melek Taus) and whose ancient gnostic faith has elements of Zoroastrianism, Christianity and Islam. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and other extremists tend to view the peacock angel as the malevolent archangel Lucifer or Satan and label the Yazidis as ‘devil worshippers.’ ISIL has murdered over 3000 men, and abduct the women and children to be sold into sexual slavery. THIS IS HAPPENING. For more information (and how you can help the cause), visit the Yazda organization.

We plan on supporting this cause on both magickal and mundane planes. We will be setting aside at least one new moon esbat to work toward the rescue of the Yazidi’s, and we also plan a fundraising auction to support this cause. More information on the auction and any possible open rituals will be posted on both our website and our Facebook page. Blessed be.